Adjustable support for a shower head



Feb. 17, 1959 E. c. WEBB 2,873,999

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR A SHOWER HEAD Filed June 21, 1956 I INVENTOR.

United States Patent f 2,873,999 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR A SHOWER HEAD Ernest c. Webb, Bay Village, Ohio Application June '21, 1956, Serial No. 592,774

4 Claims. ((31. 299-73 This invention relates to a universally adjustable support for a shower head and particularly to a universally adjustable support for the shower head of a conventional household bath shower.

The support of the present invention is operable to support the head for universal bodily adjustment to different locations and for adjustment directionally in each of the locations, as ,a result of which both the desired location and desired direction of discharge of the head can be obtained concurrently.

Heretofore, household showers have been provided in which the conduit leading from a supply pipe to the shower head is, in the form of a flexible metal conduit which is sufiiciently stifl and resistant to flexure not only to .support the shower head in different positions and at different elevations to which the shower head may be moved bodily by flexure of the conduit butralso to support the head in the position in which the head is adjusted directionally.

A number of benefits are obtained by this prior arrangement. The shower head not only can be moved to difierent levels from one above the head of the opera tor to one near the levelof the top' of the tub but also can be directed to any part of the tub and thus, in addition to its use in the conventional manner of using an ordinary shower, it can be used for rinsing out the tub, washing the hair, bathing children, and for procedures in which it is desired to confine the application of water to a very limited part of the body or space without splashing.v

.Such conduits are relatively stiff and there are instances in which the user may prefer a more flexible conduit which in and of itself, in a length such as required to reach the desired levels, is inadequate to support the head in bodily and directionally adjusted positions by its own inherent resistance to flexure. In order to combine the benefits heretofore obtained by a more readily flexible conduit with the advantages obtained by one of much greater resistance to flexure, the device of the present invention is provided.

In accordance with the present invention, a flexible conduit, which is connected at one end to a water supply pipe, is connected at its other end to a shower head. The conduit is of a length which makes it possible to adjust the head bodily from a position above head level to one at least near to the upper level of the bath tub. The flexible conduit is one which, when of. such length and unsupported between its ends, has insufiicient resistance to flexure to enable it to support the head in adjusted positions. Consequently a support is combined with the conduit and head. The support is one which is adapted to be supported in diiferent adjusted positions relative to the bath tub and to be detachably connected to either the conduit or the shower head so as to support the shower head in various locations to which the head is moved bodily and to direct the head any selected direction in each location.

Further, the support is one which, in operating effect,

r- 2 Ice 2,873,999

shortens the conduit to an efiective length so short that it is suflicient to hold the shower head in the bodily and Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water inlet pipe,-

flexible conduit, shower head, and the installed support of the present invention, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the combination of the present invention; a

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a form of the preferred embodiment'of the support used in the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational and partial vertical sectional view of the support, and is taken'on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the support of Fig. 2 and is taken on lines 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a to plan view of, a modified form of the supp 1 Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 showing the flexible conduit, shower head, and another modified form of the support; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the support illustrated in Fig. 6. a

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown as used in a conventional household bathtub shower in which an inlet pipe P for the shower head extends through the bathroom wall W at a level near the head level of the user. v

The present invention includes a flexible conduit 1 of a length such as is required to reach from the head level to a level near the top of the tub, its inherent resistance to flexure is so low that it cannot support the shower head in adjusted position.

Theflexible conduit 1 preferably is a length of the conventional spirally wound strip metal with adjacent convolutions interlocked and water-proofed by incorporation of a seal between the convolutions, or it may be of the type of flexible conduit of which the joints between the convolutions are not water-proofed but in which a separate hose, or water-proof flexible tube, is provided as a liner.

The conduit has at one of its ends a suitable fitting 2 by which it is detachably connected to the pipe P. The opposite one of its ends is connected to a shower-head 3. The conduit preferably is sufficiently flexible so that if it is supported only at the fitting 2, and not at any point between its ends, it can merely suspend the head from the fitting 2 and cannot support it in bodily adjusted positions at a higher level.

The support for the conduit 1 may comprise the body member 4 having thereon a means by which it can be fastened to a support. In the form illustrated, the body 4 is one which is adapted to be frictionally engaged-with, and slid along, the conduit 1 to different adjusted positions in which the portion of the conduit remaining be? tween the fitting 2. and the body 4 operates as the principal means for supporting the head from the fitting 2.

Accordingly, the body 4 is provided with a passage 5 extending endwise therethrough and of which the walls adapted to fit closely the exterior of the conduit 1 so that the body 4 may he slid lengthwise of the conduit. In order to hold the body 4 in the position to which it is moved along the conduit, suitable clamping means are provided. In the form illustrated in Figs. 2 through 4, the clamping means may comprise a carrier 6 which is secured by one of its ends to the body 4 and which, at its other or free end, carries a friction shoe 7 for resiliently frictionally engaging the conduit 1.

Patented Feb. 17, 1 5

Mounted on the body 4 is a spring clip 8 which provides the holding part of the support. This holding part has an arm 9 spaced laterally from one side of the body 4 for receiving the conduit 1 between the arm and body and for frictionally holding the conduit, where engaged,

in adjusted position relative to the body.

The clip 8 has an integral base portion 10 by which it is secured by a pivot 11 in face to face juxtaposition to the body for rotation about the axis of the pivot. The grip of the arm 9 and body 4 on the conduit therebetween is sufiicient to prevent accidental displacement of the conduit due to the weight of the conduit and shower head, reactance force of the discharged water, etc, yet permit the conduit to be slid therethrough endwise to adjusted positions while gripped, and to be detached therefrom readily by an operator. The clip, being connected to the body 4 for rotation about the pivot 11, can be adjusted to different positions so that when the conduit 1 is accommodated therein the entire holding part may be turned to direct the shower head to the position desired.

In the form illustrated, the width of the side of the body is such that the conduit can be gripped therebetween only when the clip 8 is positioned from 45 to one side of its median position illustrated to 45 to the other side. Ordinarily the amount of directional positioning of the conduit afiorded by this 90 movement is adequate. If a greater amount is desired, the body can be made wider.

Also, further directional adjustment is obtainable by gripping the conduit between the body 4 and arm 9 at a location a few inches from the head 3 and flexing the conduit for additional directional adjustment. The length of the tube between the clip 8 and shower head, being very short, is of itself stifi enough to support the shower head in the position to which the head is directed by such flexure.

For fastening the base portion 10 of the clip to the body 4 so as to permit it to be rotated to different positions yet frictionally held in the position to which rotated, the base 10 may be slightly dished or sprung so as to act as a spring washer. A force transmitting member, which may be in the form of a pin 12, is mounted in the body for movement laterally thereof and is arranged with one end in engagement with the base portion 10 and the other end in engagement with the carrier 6. The pin is sufiiciently longer than the normal distance between the base portion 10 and carrier 6 so that it stresses them relatively apart. Due to the spring efiect of the base portion 10, and of the carrier 6, which may also be spring metal or relatively stiff metal, the pin 12 is held in firm frictional engagement with the base portion 10 so as to yieldably resist its rotation about the pivot 11 and also presses against the carrier 6 so as to dispose the friction shoe 7 into firm frictional engagement with the conduit 1, thus yieldably frictionally resisting movement of the body along the conduit 1 and rotation of the body about the conduit 1.

With this arrangement, the body 4 can be rotated about the axis of the conduit to any desired adjusted rotated position, can be moved to any desired adjusted position along the conduit, and can support the shower head in any adjusted position of the body. Furthermore, in each position of the body 4, the clip 8 may be adjusted by rotation about the axis of the pivot 11. Also, the portion of the conduit between the body 4 and head 3 can be flexed for additional adjustment. The combination of these two latter adjustments adjust the head directionally and retain the head in the directionally adjusted position.

The conduit 1, while readily flexible when considered as a whole in the total length required, is not so readily flexible for any short portion of its length as the increment of movement between adjacent convolutions of the conduit is quite limited and their resistance to movement is considerable. Accordingly, as the total movement during flexure is distributed over a lesser part of the length, the flexibility is greatly reduced. The ease of flexure, therefore, is in a direct proportional relationship to the length. Thus, if the body 4 is moved to a position along the conduit 1 near to the fitting 2, the length of conduit between the fitting and the body 4 becomes relatively short and correspondingly relatively stifi. Likewise, when the part of the conduit 1 between the head 3 and the body 4 is relatively short, this part is relatively stifi.

Referring next to Fig. 5, a modified form of a support of the type which is to be adjusted along the conduit 1 is illustrated. In this type, a body 15 is provided with a passage 16 in which the conduit 1 is to be received. The body comprises two portions, 15a and 15b, which at one side of the passage 16 are secured together by means of bolts 17. At the opposite side of the passage 16, the portions 15a and 15b are connected by means of a bolt 18 and a dead center cam 19 which is rotatable by means of a lever 20 in such a manner as to draw the portions 15a and 15b toward each other and to release them for separation, respectively. The passage 16 is made slightly less in diameter than the conduit 1 so that the body 15 can be clamped fixedly onto the conduit in any preselected adjusted position therealong. A spring clip 21 for securing the conduit to the body at another location than that at which the body is clamped thereto, is secured to the body by suitable means such as the bolt 17, nut 22, and a spring washer 23.

If desired, a suitable upright rod may be placed on the wall of the bathroom alongside the shower, the rod being of such diameter it can be accommodated in the passage of a body such as the body 4 or the body 15, so that the body can be adjusted therealong.

For use in those bathrooms in which the wall surface is adequate for gripping by a suction cup, the form illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 may be used. In this form the support may comprise a bracket 25 having connected thereto a rubber suction cup 26 by virtue of which the bracket can be detachably secured in any adjusted position on a wall adjacent the tub. Connected to the bracket is a spring clip 27 which is rotatable to difierent adjusted positions relative to the bracket 25 and which is adapted to resiliently engage and hold the conduit 1 of the present combination, as indicated in Fig. 6. By securing the conduit in the clip 27 near the shower head, the shower head can be adjusted to the position desired vertically and transversely and also, in any of said positions, the head can be directed for directing the jet or spray where desired and held in the position and direction selected.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that in the present combination, the shower head may be adjusted bodily to various positions desired merely by doubling the conduit back into a loop, adjusting the present support to dispose it at or near one end of the loop, securing the support to the conduit at a location at or near the other end of the loop, and preferably near to the head. In this bodily adjusted position, the direction of the shower head can be adjusted by flexing the portion of the conduit disposed between'the support and head.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A support for the conduit of a shower head and comprising a body member having an elongated passage therein, a carrier member in the pasage, a friction shoe on the carrier, a grip member on the outside of the body member and having a conduit engaging portion and an attaching portion, attaching means connecting the attaching portion of the grip member and a portion of the carrier, which is spaced from the shoe, to said body member, a force transmitting member extending through the body member and having operative engagement with said carrier member and said grip member.

2. A support for the conduitof a shower head and .5 comprising a body member having an elongated passage therein, a friction shoe carried by the body member in the pasasge and movable toward and away from the axis of the passage for frictionally engaging a conduit in the passage, a grip member on the outside of the body member and having a conduit engaging portion and an attaching portion, said conduit engaging portion being adapted to receive the conduit radially and to hold the conduit frictionally, attaching means connecting the attaching portion of the grip member to the body member for rotation relative to the body member, and force transmitting means, including a member extending through the body member, having an operative connection with said shoe for urging the shoe toward the axis of the passage and having operative engagement with said attaching portion for frictionally resisting rotation thereof.

3. A support for a flexible conduit of a shower head and comprising a body member having an elongated passage therethrough accommodating a conduit for axial movement, a friction shoe mounted in the passage for movement toward and away from the axis of the passage, a gripping member on the outside of the body member having a base portion pivotally mounted on the body member for rotation about an axis extending in a direction generally transversely of the passage, resilient means operatively connected to the shoe and base portion through the body member and urging the shoe toward the axis of the passage and pressing against the base portion in a direction outwardly from the body member and thereby frictionally resisting rotation of the base portion, and a gripping arm on the base portion operable to receive the conduit in gripping position by movement of the conduit radially, and detachably and resiliently to grip and hold the conduit.

4. In a combination including a shower head, a flexible supply condiut connected thereto and adapted for connection to a water supply pipe, a support supported solely by the conduit and including a rigid body member having a passage therethrough accommodating the conduit for axial sliding movement, resiliently yieldable friction means carried by the body member and in engagement with the conduit and frictionally resisting said sliding I ally from the passage and having a conduit gripping portion operative to receive the conduit in gripping relation by movement of the conduit radially, to grip the conduit detachably and resiliently at a portion of the conduit outside of the passage, to resist frictionally axial sliding movement of the conduit relative to the gripping member and radial movement of the conduit out of engagement with the gripping member, means pivotally connecting the gripping member to the body member for rotation of the gripping member relative to the body member about an axis extending in a direction generally transversely of the passage, resiliently yieldable friction means carried by one of the members and in continuous resilient pressure contact with the other one of the members for frictionally resisting relative rotation of the members, the frictional resistance imparted by the first mentioned friction means and by the gripping member permitting, respectively, independent manual axial movement of the conduit in the passage and relative to the gripping member against the frictonal resistance, and frictionally retaining the conduit, with the shower head attached, in the axial positions to which it is moved manually relative to the members, and the frictional resistance imparted by the friction means which resist rotation of the gripping member permitting manual rotation of the gripping member against the frictional resistance, and frictionally retaining the gripping member, while the conduit is gripped thereby, in the rotated position to which the gripping member has been rotated manually.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Henderson ..Q Mar. 21, 1893 

